Rare photos, lesser known facts about India’s first war of Independence on its 161st anniversary

This uprising is known by many other names like the Sepoy mutiny, the Indian mutiny, the revolt of 1857 and India’s first struggle for Independence. (Express archive photo)

The rebellion of 1857, also known as India’s first war of Independence, began on May 10, 1857. In this 1857 revolt, Indian sepoys rose up against the might of the British officers of the East India company. The British forces, however, emerged victorious and Delhi fell into their hands on September 14, 1857 after a four-month long battle.

Even though Meerut was the starting point of the rebellion, Delhi had a prominent role in this incident. The Indian soldiers who revolted against the British officers in Meerut rushed to Delhi to meet the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. (Express archive photo)

On March 29, 1857, sepoy Mangal Pandey fired at a British officer and his comrades refused to arrest him. This led to his court-martial and he was ultimately hanged to death. This was the precursor to what came to be known as India’s first war of Independence on May 10, 1857.

After the outbreak of the mutiny, the rebels reached Delhi and Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was declared the Emperor of Hindustan. Bahadur…